Explore how Irving expresses this Romantic rebuke of America in either “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” or “Rip Van Winkle” by choosing at least two examples of this rebuke and discussing their significance

Craft a response (at least 300 words) to the following prompt and post it as a reply to the conversation I have started. You won’t be able to see any posts by your classmates until you have posted your reply, and you won’t be able to edit your reply after you’ve posted it.

Make sure you post your response to the prompt and two thoughtful and substantive responses to classmates by this week’s due date. Please give your response a unique title.

Prompt:

Each of the stories we’re reading by Washington Irving can be seen as a rebuke of some of the consequences of the Enlightenment. Irving seems to value the sleepy, rural lifestyle of the Dutch descendants who populate his tales, and the industrialization, political upheaval, and focus on monetary prosperity that comes with the young United States of America is a threat to that lifestyle. Explore how Irving expresses this Romantic rebuke of America in either “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” or “Rip Van Winkle” by choosing at least two examples of this rebuke and discussing their significance. Consider talking about Irving’s use of characterization and/or symbolism to explore the problems associated with industrialization, political upheaval, and capitalism.

Here’s an example from “Rip Van Winkle” of the kind of thing I’m looking: After he awakens, Rip finds that the large tree that used to shelter the town’s elders is replaced with a “naked pole” with a cap on top of it. The tree might represent the Romantic notion that humans should live in harmony with nature. The pole represents the progressive attitudes of the Enlightenment (specifically, political progress). The fact that the “naked pole” is presented as a replacement for a tree that provided shelter, shows that the changes that took place while Rip was sleeping were often negative ones.

Please also respond thoughtfully and substantively to at least two classmates.

Remember, quotations do not count towards your 300 words.

Requirements: at least 300 words